OPINION: Ron DeSantis Made Florida the Best State to Raise a Family

This op-ed was authored by Heather Lane Guzzino of Neptune Beach, Florida.

July 12, 2022 Updated 2:24 P.M. ET

NEPTUNE BEACH (FLV) – There is no governor in the country who cares about the success of Florida families more than Governor Ron DeSantis. As a mother of 3 children living in Jacksonville, there is no better state in the country to raise a family.

While many American families experienced draconian lockdowns, in the form of school and business closures, thanks to the leadership of DeSantis, our children did not have to attend class through a Zoom call and were able to continue competing in sports. 

The new Mamas for DeSantis initiative launched by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis proves that Governor DeSantis has the support he needs behind him from moms across the state. The First Lady’s Mamas for DeSantis initiative is particularly important to Jacksonville moms when we see such a failure of leadership in Washington. 

Joe Biden’s feckless policies of masking children, keeping students out of school, and promoting inappropriate lesson plans are cruel and they are harming the next generation of Americans. 

When you factor in rampant inflation, which has made gas and food unaffordable, open borders, and skyrocketing crime, it is clear that Biden and the Democrats do not care about the concerns of Floridians, especially mamas and our families. 

Fortunately, here in Florida, Governor DeSantis is putting parents and students first every single day. He has made it a priority to make Florida the best place or our students to get an education. The Governor has expanded school choice by creating the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which increases educational opportunities for children of families with limited financial resources. 

While other states kept their children home from school, Governor DeSantis kept our schools open and in-person, five days a week. And as a result, Florida has now been ranked third in the nation for K-12 education by Education Week and our higher education system has been ranked number one in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Florida parents never had to worry about their children suffering significant learning losses that parents in locked down states witnessed.

I am also proud that Governor DeSantis is investing in our environment, hoping to keep Florida beautiful for generations to come. He provided more than $1.2 billion for Everglades restoration this year and has prioritized the protection of Florida’s water resources. Florida has now surpassed the Governor’s ambitious four-year goal of investing more than $3.3 billion for Everglades restoration and the protection of water resources since 2019. I know that with Governor DeSantis in charge, he is thinking about the future we are leaving for Florida’s children. 

Rest assured, because of Governor DeSantis’s leadership, the issues that moms in Florida care about are being addressed and tackled head-on. 

Join the Million Mama Movement with us at mamasfordesantis.com.